Most of the care that Weldmar provides is in the community – whether this is in patients’ homes or care homes. But Joseph Weld Hospice is where Weldmar cares for the most seriously ill of their patients; people who are just too poorly to be at home.

Di Sketchley is one of the Senior Staff Nurses at Joseph Weld Hospice, and was the face of the campaign.

Di said “Weldmar offers wonderful, exceptional care – my colleagues are some of the most experienced and highly trained nurses in the whole of Dorset. The care we can offer here is the very best available. But we did have a need – to provide better comfort for our patients. Most of our patients have very little mobility and so spend the vast majority of their time lying still in their bed. For many, just turning a little to find a more comfortable position is virtually impossible. This means that these vulnerable patients, at such a difficult time anyway, suffer a real risk of getting pressure sores. We do everything we can to prevent patients getting these, but it takes both time from us – and the right equipment”.

Thanks to the support of the Dorset community, Weldmar is now able to buy a new pressure-relieving mattress for every single bed in the inpatient unit – saving both time and money. Before this appeal, the Dorset hospice had to hire mattresses as when they were needed, and often move them from bed to bed.

Ken Sanger’s wife, Jenny, was a patient in Joseph Weld Hospice in 2016, and supported the appeal by telling his story during the campaign. Ken said “Jenny and I went into Weldmar Hospicecare in September last year. The nurses looked after her like a princess and did everything they could to make her comfortable. It was the best place she could have been. I asked if I could stay over one night. The care she received was the best. I can never really say ‘Thank you’ in a way that means enough – which is why I chose to support the appeal to provide comfort to their patients”

Di said “Everyone at Weldmar is so very grateful to all that chose to help with our appeal. It is only thanks to the support of our local community that we are able to offer our outstanding care for our patients and their loved ones across Dorset, whether that is in their homes or in our hospice”.

From left to right Di Sketchley (Weldmar Senior Staff Nurse), Ken Sanger, and Iris Wheeler (who supported the appeal by purchasing an entire mattress) at Joseph Weld Hospice